Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-03-26
A VISIT TO MACAO.
ARCADIAN WAYS AND VIEWS IN
CHINA SEA.
Structures and Activities Of the Dis
tant Past-Streets, Customs,
Game Of Fan Fan, Etc.
Especial REcoRD-UsloN Correspondence
MACAO. February 6. 1887.

MACAO, February g. 1887.
Leaving Hongkong with drizzling rain,
a bitter wind and a sprained foot, started
on board the Kin-kiang for the famous
Portuguese colony of Macao. On every
side along the way the colors are the same
as those of an early California winter,
green just showing through brown and
yellow, huts scarcely distinguishable from
the rocks, stunted pines and drifting mist
clouds on the hills make up the landscape,
while now and then some village, with
enormously large banners with lettering
and dragons upon them, make many
bright spots along the shore,
AS one approaches Macao from the sea,
he is charmed by its picturesque appear
ance, like bit of old Europe brought out
and planted here Mount Charil, with the
lighthouse, and Mount Milan are the
prominent points; and, upon entering the
bay, the fort of San Francisco appears on
the right, and on the left the fort of Our
Lady of Bonn Parto. Immediately on ar
irving | was carried in a chair through
winding ways over hill to the hotel, kept
by Hing Kee, which faces the well-built
Praya, where, after grand dinner Il was
hungry, went to bed and laid my head
upon a real feather pillow-the first since
leaving home.
WALKS ABOUT MACAO.
Maeoa is thirty-five miles from Hong
kong and covers an area of twelve square
miles on peninsula Joined to the island
of Heang-shang by very narrow strip of
land where formerly there was post kept
ing inland. The place was granted to the
Portuguese in 1885 by the Chinese for serv.
ices against p;ratical invasion from
Japan, though the Portuguese had settled
in st. Johns Island where st. Francis
Xavier died., and in several places about.
Tribute was given to China until in lS4S,
Governor Ferreia de Amaral refused to pay
1t any longer, and expelled the customs
official. For this he was killed near
Ports de Cereo, and his head carried to
Canton, but the Portuguese took the
wall and secured privileges the same as
the English. This was all the history |
was able to scrape together concerning
Macao, and went to sleep listening to the
waves as they broke regularly on the stone
embankment before my window, and
mixed the sound with my little bit of his
tory in a most unheard of tumble.
Next morning | walked out the Estrada
San Francisco and quite around the little
peninsula. On one side is the sea, on the
other rises the hill where the military hos
pital of San Januarius is built, pretty con-
trast in its pink and white to the shrubs
and pampas grass about it, where here and
there bit of broken stone railing or old
cannon peeps out, and above it all towers
the hernitage-fort of Our Lady of Guia,
where floats the blue and white flag of Port
ugal.
A PARsEE CEMETERY,
Not the usual tower of silence, but gray
and desolate, lies in terraces below the
road, and l hear the voices of children at
play on the beach. In one corner of the
Praca de LUZ de Camoens is the gateway to
the old garden of the Marques family. On
the left is a large ruined building, through
the windows of which one sees banana
trees grown TO the second story. Passing
under the archway and through parteres
of ribbon gardening by winding ways and
steps, one comes to masses of black lichen-
covered rocks, over which are twisted like
constructors the tightly interlaced roots of
banyan trees. The voices of many birds
ill the air, and at all times gentle breeze
is here. All is quietness and peace, just
the place for rest-the place of places one
would choose were he in sadness or look
ing for retreat far from the noise Of the
world. And there it was that great man
came years ago when cast off by his own.
THE POET LUZ DE oAMoENs
Was one of if not the most famous Portu-
guese known to the world he was the son
of a sea- captain and led a life of the most
romantic kind. Just after completing his
education he saw and loved Catarlna de
Atayde, who loved him in return, but the
lady was also courted by the King, and
through his jealousy and power Camoens
was banished to Goa, the settlement in In
dia, Cupid, though, baked the King
in his design, for Catarina died of grief.
Camoens went through many adventures,
in one of which, an attack against Morocco,
he lost his right eye, and found himself in
far China. Here, in Macao, where he held
an Office from 1868 to 1861, he wrote his
famed g Os Lusiados,n which describes the
founding of Lisbon by a party under
Ulysses. Returning to Portugal he suf-
fered shipwrecks, imprisonments and Sc
we're poverty, through which he was sup
ported by faithful servant, till death
came to his relief as he lay i'll in the poor
house. Then follow quickly fame medals
In his honor, monuments and Immortality.
Three powders form the grotto, one rest
ing upon the others as a sort of roof, and
thus making cool, natural room where
the poet wrote. 1t is difficult to imagine
what terrific CONFUSION of nature could
have thrown these huge masses so together,
balancing them so nicely. Under this roof
is a pedestal and bronze bust with the
poets name and Nasceo 1924, Morreo
1880" with stanzas from the "0s Lusia-
dos, or the Lusiad," as we call it. The
bronze represents handsome face, with
laurel wreath about the head. From this
garden one can see
THE JESUIT CHURCH OF ST. PAUL.
Approaching this beautiful ruin from the
street, one climbs long flight of massive
and broad steps, with heavy balustrades of
carved granite, which leads to the paved
open space before the building. The front
wall and parts of the sides are all that are
now standing of this once magnificent
cathedral: but enough 10 tell something of
the grandeur which must have been within
The style of architecture l do not know by
name, it is suggestive of Gothic in many
points, and is the same as used in the Mis-
sions of California. The same graceful
scroll work and curved outline are here
repeated as are seen in San Xavier del BAG,
near Tucson, Arizona. This magnificent
front is of solid granite, blackened with
age and smoke, while from corners and
crevices grow trees and vines. Some OF
the carvings, though often grotesque in
design are exquisite in finish. A ship
under full sail a skeleton, a double
headed dolphin compose some of the
panels, and frieze Of very slightly con-
ventionalized flowers, of different kinds,
extends across the whole front There are
six inches with statues of Saints and
many scrolls with Chinese characters
probably Biblical texts-carved in them.
Over the main entrance, which is now
walled up, read the words, Mater Del,
and in the cornerstone, much worn and
covered with dirt, l deciphered, Virgini
Magne Matri Civitas Macaensis Libens
Posnit, An. 1922 japanese workmen had
to be brought by the Jesuits to do the
stone-carving, as the Chinese at that time
in the province had not sufficient mechani-
cal skill III the use of the chisel 1t is
painful to find these Christian ruins with
heather shrines built close against them.